Safety attachment for street-cars



I 62 If INVENTOR (N o Modal.)

0. BECK. SAFETY ATTAGHMBNT FOB. STREET CARS.

No. 538,364. Patented Apr. 30, 1895.

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WITNESSES:

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UNITED" STAT S PATENT. OFF CE.

OSCAR BECK, OF NEIVARK, NEWV JERSEY.

SAFETY ATTACHMENT FOR STREET-CARS.

SPEGIFIGATlION forming partof e st Patent no. 538,364, dated April 30, 1895.

Application filed March 16, 1894:. Serial No. 503,824; (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR BECK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Attachments for Street Oars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of this invention is to prevent injury and loss of life in connection with street cars propelled by cable or electricity or other motive power than horses.

The invention consists in the improved guard or fender and in the arrangements and combinations of the parts thereof and connected therewith as hereinafter set forth and finally pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures where they occur, Figure 1 represents (in side elevation) the lower portion of an ordinary street car and showing my improvement in connection therewith. Fig. 2 is a similar view, showing the improvement in operative position when the car is runningin the opposite direction from that indicated in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3is a top plan view of the improvement disconnected from the car. 7

In said drawings, A, designates the body of the car; B, the end platform thereof; and C, the truck frame.

D, designates guard-rails which are mounted and work longitudinally in suitable bearings or supports, E, arranged at each side of the car, and firmly secured to the truck frame thereof, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Said guard-rails are connected at each end by suitable cross bars or rods F, which serve to hold said guard-rails in a fixed relation to one another, the whole forming an oblong frame. At each'end of said frame, is arranged a safety-guard or receptacle, G, which guards or receptacles are firmly connected with said frame, said safety-guards in this instance, be-

ing each composed of a bow shapedrod, H, a wire'netting or canvas 6, and a central rod, 0, which are fastened to said bow shaped rod and to the rods F, of the frame, as indicated in Fig. 3. The said frame is adapted to be moved longitudinally in either direction in said bearings by the motorman, for which. purpose a cord, j, is fastened to said frame at or near each end and extendinginto the front portion of the platforms of the car, passing over suitable pulleys or rollers, la, the ends of said cord being within easy reach of the motorman or conductor of the car, and held in suitable rollers or supports, 7c,'as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. Said frame and guards, when the car is not in use, are arranged so that they project but little, if any beyond the extreme ends of the platforms, but, when the car is about to be started from either terminal on its route, the motorman or other person, by means of the cord, j,or otherwis'e, projects the front safety guard forward or in the direction the car is to run and fastens it in position, as indicated in the drawings, so that should a person come in contact therewith, he or she would be likely to be thrown or fall upon said guard and thereby escape serious injury as will be understood upon reference to the drawings. The said guard-rails, D, being arranged outside of the car-wheels and but a few inches above the track-rails, serve toprevent a person from coming in contact with said wheels, as will be manifest The said wire netting or canvas, 12, is extended from the rear of said 'safety guard to the platform of the car and is secured thereat, as a further protection against injury, provision being made by leaving sufficient slack in the canvas or netting to allow for the rocking motion of the car body, as will be understood upon reference to Figs. 1 and 2. I prefer to make the said frame of hollow rails, such as ordinary water or gas pipe. Upon the cross bars, F, are mounted rollers or wheels, F, which engage the track rails and prevent undue friction and also serve to support the frame, when a person falls thereon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and wish to secure by Letters Patent, is

truck frame at each side of the car, and in close proximity to the track rails, a safety guard or receptacle arranged at each end of a and in line with said guard-rails and firmly secured to the latter, and means for projecting or moving said safety-guards in either direction, as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. In combination, the guard-rails, D, supports, E, secured to the truck frame and carrying said rails, safety-guards or receptacles, carried by said rails, cords j, connecting with said guards, and pulleys hand 70', arranged at the opposite ends of the car with relation to one another and operating as described, and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination with the guard-rails D, 20 suitable supports, as E, secured to the truck frame and carrying said rails, the safetyguards or receptacles carried by said rails and means for operating the same, of the rollers F, also carried by said rails and arranged 25 and operating as described, and for the purposes set forth.

"In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of March, 1894:.

OSCAR BECK. Witnesses:

OLIVER DRAKE, LOUISA BRoWNE. 

